Tweeting with the Stars

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If you have any interest at all in social media, there is a good chance that you have heard about all of the opportunities to make money off of your Tweets. You decided to sign up for a Twitter account, post relevant Tweets with good links and funny quips with your Samsung Galaxy S2, but still don’t have any followers and no chance of making a buck off of the service.

All of the Twitter money you hear about is going to celebrities and other famous people for shameless promotional tactics. Because the common Twitter user wants juicy celebrity gossip and updates, advertising agencies have found clever ways to sneak their messages into the diatribe of several Hollywood stars.

The pay-per-tweet service ad.ly helps brands find the appropriate celebrities to market specific products and services. According to E! Online, celebrities such as Kim Kardashian, Joel Madden, and Audrina Partridge make up to $10,000 a Tweet when they plug products. Kardashian recently got in trouble with the FTC when she promoted the ABC show “Dancing With the Stars” without disclosing her message as a paid advertisement.

Twitter is asking large multimedia companies to help them advertise the service in order to get a more diverse and non-tech crowd. If you take a quick survey with your friends who are not on Twitter, there is a good chance you will hear responses such as “I don’t get it,” “That sounds stupid,” and “What’s the point if I already have a Facebook account.” By teaming up with television networks, celebrities, and even the WWE, Twitter is launching a campaign to get its social network on the same mainstream level as Facebook.

Another strategy implemented by celebrities is the Charlie Sheen method. Instead of seeking out advertisers, you can draw all of the publicity on yourself by posting statements that make you sound like a lunatic who has just jumped over the edge of a cliff. By making his public meltdown available on Twitter and other social media sites, Charlie Sheen was able to create a dedicated and loyal following while also securing the highest rated Comedy Central Roast of all time.

Rainn Wilson, or Dwight Schrute as you might more commonly know him, was recently caught up in a Twitter pickle. As reported by the website Mashable, “The Office” actor tried to send a Direct Message to his assistant in order to strike up a deal with the Del Taco chain, but inadvertently sent a derogatory Tweet to all of his followers instead. Knowing Rainn’s nature, this could be a clever satire on the way celebrities use Twitter to make money, but it could also be a costly misstep for the funnyman.

The best piece of advice for making money on Twitter is to become famous. If that doesn’t work out for you according to plan, you can always use the old method of hard work, education, and perseverance that has been tried and true for several centuries now. Good luck at your attempt for fame!

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